The self-assembled multivalent complexes (blue) can induce blood clotting by binding to heparin (green)
Recovering from operations could become easier thanks to a self-assembling multivalent heparin binding agent being developed by scientists in the UK, Italy and Spain.
During some surgical procedures, heparin is given to patients to prevent blood clots from forming by thinning their blood. Protamine is then given following surgery to inactivate heparin and allow healing to begin. However, this drug can have dangerous side-effects, so is often only used in small doses but this can lead to bleeding and further surgery being required. Spending time at the hospital after his husband’s lung transplant gave David Smith at the University of York personal insight into the problems of using protamine and inspired him and his team to devise an alternative.
The Self-Assembled Multivalent complexes they have created, called SAMul in honour of Smith’s husband, Sam, are made up of molecules containing an ionic heparin binding part and a hydrophobic part. In biological media, the hydrophobic section induces the individual molecules to aggregate into micelles, with multiple heparin binding sites exposed on the micelle surface. This multivalency increases the micelles’ ability to bind heparin. Incorporating an ester linker into the molecules mean they will slowly degrade via hydrolysis if an excess is used, minimising any side effects.
Read the full article in Chemistry World»
Read the original journal article in Chemical Science – it’s free to download until 26th March:
Nanoscale self-assembled multivalent (SAMul) heparin binders in highly competitive, biologically relevant, aqueous media
Stephen M. Bromfield, Paola Posocco, Ching W. Chan, Marcelo Calderon, Scott E. Guimond, Jeremy E. Turnbull, Sabrina Pricl and David K. Smith
Chem. Sci., 2014, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C4SC00298A, Edge Article
